Thanks for stopping by Refresh with Dawn Herring. I hope you enjoy browsing through the postings and get to know me a bit better.
I'm Dawn Herring, host of #JournalChat Live and Links Edition for all things journaling on Twitter and Facebook. I'm also a writer and artist focused on refreshment, journaling, and positive change. Email me at refreshwithdawnherring@gmail.com with any questions or comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy your stay!

Friday, February 7, 2014

Did you have fun today?
I mean the kind where you laughed hysterically or experienced something that left you feeling refreshed and invigorated?

What do you think about when you hear the word: FUN?
Perhaps something you don't think you have time for?

Ah, that obligation dilemma always rears its undesirable head just when you're thinking about something FUN you want to do.

So, what is the definition of FUN?
How about this: Light Hearted Amusement. I like the sound of that. Light gives me the impression of not feeling the heaviness of things. Hearted means it brings delight to your heart so you feel good afterwards. And then there's the Amusement...that's where the laughing hysterically part comes in.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel after a thorough-from-the-belly-laugh? What makes YOU laugh like that? You need to inject some more into your daily existence. I know I do.

One of the things I've been doing on a daily basis to add more FUN to my day is a daily doodle (See Jani Frank's Unearth Ecourse at The Bubbling Well. In my opinion, I think Jani is hilarious and FUN; I often laugh out loud watching her videos.) Yes, Jani encourages a daily doodle for 7 days or as long as you decide to go with it. It really loosens up the expectations as an artist. You're just having FUN on the page instead of worrying about perfection.

So I thought about how I could incorporate this idea and decided that my daily Summary Word would be a great way to do so since it's every day. I have a journaling visual practice I use in the evening where I list all of the main events in my daily experience, and next to each one I put an X for something upsetting or annoying or a * for stuff that made me happy, excited or refreshed. And after doing this visual review, I determine what ONE WORD would appropriately summarize my day. Now instead of just writing it, I DOODLE it. And I am having FUN! It makes the whole expression so much more creative, intuitive and gives me an excuse to illustrate what that word really means to me. I look forward to this exercise even more now with my Daily Doodle. (Thanks, Jani, for the idea.)

Another way I have FUN in my day is, of course, with my art journal; I don't do this on a daily basis, but at least several times per week. (Maybe even 4 or 5 at this point.) I always enjoy my time in my art studio Playing and Exploring and Experimenting on the page. I love using watercolors, images (using image transfer technique sometimes), text either from newspaper or magazine or stamped text, and texture from using different items that create an interesting result on the page. I never have to ask myself if I'm having fun because I just DO.

Another area of life that injects FUN into my day is spending time with grandboy. His laughter, his smile, his adorable sense of humor, and his growing cognitive skills just make for a hilarious and interesting time. I especially enjoy looking at small plastic books with him. I usually end up singing a song to him or exaggerating words and sounds that always gets him giggling and laughing.

Another way I experience FUN in my life is through spontaneous time with my hubby. Whether it's shopping at the grocery store, going to book stores, taking a drive just because, or simply having terrific conversation, we have FUN together. (And we're celebrating 25 years of this.)

There are other activities I also enjoy, such a watching a funny movie, listening to musical auditions, perusing art journaling or collage related books and magazines, or watching something hilarious a friend posts on Facebook (this happens a LOT-Can you hear me laughing from here??).

One thing I would recommend you do to get more FUN vibes in your life is to write down one moment in your day where you laughed. You didn't have one? Well, then this Moment calls for Something that will.
Go! Do It! Then Laugh. Then you'll have something to write down. *Wink*

I give you permission to always include a FUN FACTOR in your day. Every. Single. Day.
You may notice you become more Aware of what makes you laugh and start pursuing it.
That's the idea! Yay! Go for it!

Then let me know. I'd love to hear about it. (And if you want to share how you have refreshed yourself with something FUN that helps you appreciate yourself for who you are, validates your emotions and feelings and nurtures your soul, please email me direct at journalwriter@sbcglobal.net.)

Did you have FUN reading this? I hope so. (I know I had FUN writing it!)
Now Go Make Some Fun Right Now. Really.

Accountability: to give a reckoning or explanation for one’s actions, responsible.

When most people think of accountability, they often negatively associate it with answering to others, such as a spouse, a friend, a mentor, or, in most cases, a boss. As a writer, you are your own boss, which is one of the reasons that you need to be accountable to yourself. And it can be a positive experience rather than a negative one.

The first step in being accountable to yourself as a writer is setting goals for your writing and keeping track of projects you want to finish. Incurring a deadline for yourself can help

motivate you in this area. This step can also include daily writing goals. Some authors plan how many words or pages per day they will write.

I’ve set goals for myself as a writer by making them reachable and attainable. This year I have set a goal to write at least one scene for my novel per week and at least one other piece,

whether it be memoir or essay, per week. That can mean just making notes, writing a first draft, or revising a draft.

As long as your goals keep you moving forward and you’re making progress, then you know you’re headed in the right direction.

Once you have your goals set, the next step in accountability to yourself is writing down what you accomplish each day. You can use a daily calendar just for writing or keep track of your

daily accomplishments on your computer. I designed a custom monthly writing calendar. It helps me track what I write daily, whether or not I’ve met my goal for the week, and it has

space for ideas for future writing pieces. I also have a spot to keep track of books I’m reading for that month. I use abbreviations to keep the daily writing easier and to save space. As I review each completed month, I can go back to see what I’ve accomplished and keep track of when I wrote each piece.

Whether you use something pre-made or customize something for yourself, use whatever works for you and helps you stay accountable to yourself.

A third, and perhaps most important, aspect in accountability in your writing is taking care of yourself as a writer. Than can mean giving yourself space and not being hard on yourself if

you don’t reach your goals each day or each week.

Flexibility and refreshment are paramount to your health as a writer. It also frees up your creativity and can actually help you produce more quality writing in the long run.

I enjoy writing in my journal, reading fiction or memoir, and watching a good movie with my family. Taking a walk, listening to music, talking with your family members, and just taking time to sit and enjoy life are all ways you can be good to

yourself—and ultimately accountable—as a writer.

Learn to celebrate your accomplishments and your uniqueness as a writer. That’s one of the best ways to be accountable—to yourself!

A 21 Day Refresh Intensive E-Course!

Dawn is now offering a 21 Day Refresh Intensive Course that enables you to Activate Your Intuition, Honor Your Preferences and Listen to Your Life Messages. It is available for purchase as a downloadable PDF so you can take it any time for your refreshment!

About Me

Dawn is a watercolor and collage artist, writer, Host of #JournalChat Live and Creative and Social Media Consultant. She enjoys sharing insights, humor, and encouragement as she shares from her life experiences. She enjoys keeping a journal and reading spiritual texts to help keep the light on. Hope you enjoy perusing the blog posts and in the process, get to know her a bit better. Enjoy your stay!

Follow by Email

Follow Me On Pinterest!

My Website: www.dawnherring.net

You can check out my website: www.dawnherring.net. There you will find info on my writing services, my bio and journaling resources and my book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child. Enjoy your stay!

#JournalChat Live on Twitter

#JournalChat Live is on the First Sunday of each month at 4 EST/1 PST on Twitter. Check out my new blog to sign up for Refresh Journal which will give you all the details!

Refresh Sessions Now Available!

If you desire to discover what Your Authentic Refreshment might be so you can enhance and benefit your life, you'll welcome to purchase a 30 minute Refresh Session with Dawn **by phone or Skype, initiating the discovery process toward Your Authentic Refreshment. (A 30 Minute Refresh Session is $75.)

PLEASE NOTE: REFRESH SESSIONS BY PHONE/SKYPE ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE; REFRESH SESSIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE BY AND THROUGH EMAIL.

My eBook: The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child

I'm so excited to share with you my new ebook, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child.

The Birthday Wall is my detailed, step-by-step instructional book that shows how to create a multi-dimensional, colorful visual collage to help celebrate your child's Birthday. As creator of this family tradition, I share how to research, plan, gather, create and display all the elements of your child's birthday wall which can help affirm, validate, and show appreciation for your child.

Follow this link which takes you to the Parent to Parent page of HSLDA's Home School Court Report. In their Sept/Oct 2009 edition and on this page, My reason for Homeschooling has been published under Dawn H. You're welcome to check it out!